It’s a fact that older Americans have different viewpoints on a whole lot of issues than younger ones — and opinions also vary when it comes to geographical locations too. This senior female Hoosier is struggling to understand the current situation in Minnesota. Maybe you are too?
There are tragic-but-real human factors that get lost when debates turn binary.
I think it’s important to remember that different things can all be true at the same time. It’s a mechanical reality — not a moral judgement — that interfering physically with law enforcement increases danger for everyone.
- The environment influences the split-second judgement calls of law enforcement — the whistles and airhorns, crowds closing in and blocking paths, organized interference, the anticipatory stress of prior confrontations — but that doesn’t mean I think the deaths were acceptable or justified. That’s not my call to make.
- Civil disobedience has a long history but has always carried known risks, trained participants, and discipline — but when the disruption becomes chaotic rather than disciplined, (like now in Minnesota) bad things are bound to happen — but that doesn’t mean I think Good or Pretti deserved to die.
Good’s death wouldn’t have happened if she (a) wasn’t impeding law enforcement, and (b) would’ve just gotten out of her vehicle when ordered to. Pretti’s death wouldn’t have happened if he would’ve left his gun (and 2 magazines) at home. Even though he took that risk — and was breaking the law by having a concealed carry w/o also having his ID — the penalty for that alone isn’t death either.
The bottom line isn’t contradictory — it’s realistic:
- Law enforcement must be accountable
- Protesters should not normalize obstruction or harassment
- High-stress chaos increases the chance of irreversible mistakes (on both sides)
- Lawlessness is not a solution to what you feel is an unjust system
It’s a mess, isn’t it? The Obama administration oversaw what remains historically high numbers of deportations; however, they did not involve federal agents being deployed in large visible operations. On the other hand, Obama’s deportations had cooperation with local law enforcement channels so that wasn’t needed.
It’s about the “how” and “who” cause and effect — and not the actual deportations — that are the root of the current challenges in Minnesota. <—- Just my opinion. 🙂
Now you know: In 2024, Bear 32, also known as Chunk, was observed eating 45 sockeye salmon in 10.5 hours from Brooks River in Katmai National Park & Preserve. At an estimated average of 3,000 calories per fish, Chunk consumed around 135,000 calories in that one sitting.